Have you ever linked to an open Wi-Fi network and thought if your online activities are being viewed somewhere? That is perfectly fair, taking into consideration the powers assembled against your privacy. You will shield your details from prying eyes with a VPN (Virtual Private Network), and reclaim a degree of online privacy.

What is a Virtual Private Network (VPN)?

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a software that improves online privacy and protection. You link to a server that is run by a VPN provider using an encrypted connection when you use a commercial VPN service. Both the data exchanged between your device and the VPN server would be encrypted to keep someone else from accessing it.

This set-up has several key effects that significantly improve the security of the Internet. Because your details are protected, your Internet service provider (ISP) is shielded from all operations. Note that your Internet activity could be viewed by your VPN provider, that’s why VPNs should always be seen as a protector of your data, not anonymous.

Why use a VPN?

Once you go online, an IP address is given to your Internet connection which is a connection number. This can enable websites and other third parties to see where you log in from and can even access your data. Your IP is masked by using a VPN and lets you sign in to another server somewhere else that simply serves as a buffer between you and the information that you want. If you browse a site from the USA but are using a VPN server in the United Kingdom, that site will think you’re located in the UK. This makes your data inaccessible and anonymizes your data. This perhaps is the perfect way of avoiding advertisements that always appear while surfing online.

You don’t necessarily need to worry about being spied upon while using a Wi-Fi network at home because you own the connection. But, at the same time, your ISP has enormous insight into your online activities and your ISP can even sell its consumer’s data anonymously.  That being said, it’s quite evident that they might be making some extra cash by selling your data. However, there are ISPs out there who promise full protection of customer’s data and are ultra-secure for online banking and shopping.  In case you want to know more, click here to find out about these reliable ISPs that can be trusted. Nevertheless, it’s always good to stay on the safe side and use a VPN at home too.

Why use a VPN on your Smartphone?

A lot of your sensitive data is found in your cellphone including the emails and other profiles that are associated with it. All other personal information like pictures, emails, messages Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat, etc. can be accessed. When connected to Wi-Fi, your data can be exchanged with others to see if the Wi-Fi connection is safe or not. Some websites can also save your data by accessing your true IP and discover your actual physical location while you visit them. Therefore, you can navigate websites anonymously by using a VPN because a good VPN provides a different IP address than what the sites think. You may also pick a virtual location via a VPN to do your research anonymously, easily, free of charge anywhere on all websites.

How secure is it?

Most VPN providers use safe encryption. This ensures all of the information — which is generally just a location — is stored in code type. There’s a way to write in code and a secret key to decode the application at the other end. And if the data were detected, without the code key, it would be worthless. The encryption is so powerful that the military, banks, and government agencies use it to safeguard their data.

Remote Access

The usage of a VPN demonstrates that if you have any sort of restriction on the website, the details can be accessed remotely from any location. The VPN can improve the efficiency of the business because the employees do not have to be in a certain location to be successful.

You may struggle while you’re on a work or a vacation trip but still want to see your latest shows on Hulu or Netflix. You are in another country, and Netflix servers only provide you with access to content at your home location – which may prevent you from viewing US content. If you have a VPN, you can access content that is viewable in the U.S. This will, of course, also allow you to watch BBC iPlayer, which is not available in the UK.

Access blocked sites

VPNs also enable blocked websites to be accessed. Some jurisdictions have opted to restrict some specific sites from the links of all the citizens of the community. A VPN helps you tunnel with more radical policies in another region, and reach sites that would otherwise be restricted. As the VPN encrypts network data, the privacy of individuals linked to the free internet stays protected.

Cost

Almost all VPN service providers showcase various packages and a specialist for search engine optimization can select a perfect subscription package that meets their immediate need to save money. With nice subscriptions there are multiple affordable and still efficient VPN service providers; this is a benefit that SEO professionals may use.

The monthly price of VPN on average is roughly $10. However, that would decrease dramatically if you pledge for a 12-month agreement, as rates will go as low as $5 a month or could even go at $3.33 with longer engagement periods. Most VPNs give free trials and money-back deals, so you can check to see if it’s suitable for you before purchasing.

Is VPN suitable for open Wi-Fi

A VPN is always a good option whenever you connect to a new Wi-Fi network. A VPN is a good idea if you are not sure whether a Wi-Fi connection is safe — which is difficult to judge, for example even at a friend’s house.

A VPN is a secure way to keep yourself free with airport and hotel Wi-Fi that can be breached. This ensures that your data and equipment cannot be reached or decrypt any details on your accounts, in specific items such as bank details, if you were to sign in without the protection standard provided by a VPN.

The downside of using a VPN

The only possible drawback of using a VPN is that it will slow down the internet connection speed, mostly because of the extra computing capacity needed to encrypt, decrypt and redirect data from a third-party server to attach a leg to the journey. These speed impacts are typically not noticeable.

Conclusion

People are always looking for ways, trying to stop being watched while surfing in the best way possible. A VPN is undoubtedly one of the easiest and most effective options for security purposes and to assist in protecting or preventing the ISP provider from tracking our activities while surfing the websites. Free VPNs are generally limited with extreme restrictions allowing only the location options. However, the only way to guarantee secure access, low latency, and quality data encryption are to get a genuine paid VPN.